Page 2 of Hitched to the Shadow Creature (Monster Matchmaking #3)

V arkolak

I sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, letting the mountain winds whip around my bare torso. The shadows from the setting sun stretched across the Navi Mountains like dark fingers reaching for me. My sanctuary. My prison.

With a flick of my wrist, I pulled the shadows closer, weaving them between my fingers. They danced like liquid silk, responding to my will. The darkness had always been my closest companion.

Until now.

The thought of my pledge burned through me again.

To mate with a human. The idea was both thrilling and terrifying.

Our Shadow Tribe had been dying for generations.

Fewer children were born each year. Our essence, the very thing that gave us control over darkness, growing weaker with each passing generation.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus on my meditation, but memories crashed through instead.

"We need new blood." Elder Kora's voice had echoed through the tribal council chamber three months ago. Her ancient face, a tapestry of wrinkles and shadow markings, looked more grave than I'd ever seen it. "Our people face extinction unless we find a way to strengthen our bloodlines."

Murmurs rippled through the gathered shadow people. I stood near the back, towering over most others at my full height.

"The ancient texts speak of humans who carry shadow essence without knowing it," she continued. "Dormant power that could revitalize our tribe if mixed with our bloodlines."

Laughter erupted from Draven, my childhood rival. "You suggest we mate with humans? Like animals?" His lip curled. "I'd rather let our kind die with dignity than dilute our blood with those weak creatures."

I'd crossed my arms, watching. Waiting.

"Who among us would even volunteer for such a task?" Elder Moro asked, his voice tinged with doubt. "To leave our mountains, our shadows, to live among humans?"

The chamber fell silent. I felt the collective weight of my tribe's desperation pressing down. Without thinking, I stepped forward.

"I will go." My voice, rarely used, caused heads to turn in surprise.

Draven's mocking laugh cut through the chamber. "Varkolak? The mountain hermit? You can barely speak to your own kind, let alone charm a human into your bed."

More laughter followed. I kept my face impassive, but my shadows betrayed me, darkening and swirling at my feet.

"You think because you're strong you can succeed where others would fail?" Draven continued. "Humans are afraid of the dark, fool. One look at you manipulating shadows and they'll run screaming."

I met his eyes. "Then I won't show them. Not until they're ready."

Elder Kora raised her hand for silence. "Varkolak has volunteered. The council will consider his offer." Her eyes, black as midnight, studied me. "This will not be easy. We would need to find a human with compatible essence. The chances are... slim."

"I understand." I'd bowed my head, already questioning my impulsive decision.

A rustling in the shadows behind me pulled me from my memories. I didn't turn around. I didn't need to. I could feel Nyx's presence, her shadow energy as familiar to me as my own.

"Still brooding?" She stepped beside me, her silhouette blending seamlessly with the mountain darkness. "The council thought you'd have changed your mind by now."

I let the shadows between my fingers dissipate. "Not brooding. Meditating."

Nyx laughed, the sound like wind through autumn leaves. "Twenty-eight years I've known you, and you're still a terrible liar."

She sat beside me, legs dangling over the thousand-foot drop. Heights meant nothing to our kind. We could become one with the shadows before hitting bottom.

"I've got news." Her voice turned serious. "That's why I tracked you to your hiding place."

My chest tightened. "They've found someone."

Nyx turned to me, her obsidian eyes wide with something I rarely saw in her, surprise.

"Yes. And it's impossible."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The essence seekers found a human with shadow energy so strong it rivals some of our own kind. They've never seen anything like it."

I stared at her, waiting for the punchline. For months, shadow seekers searched human cities for even the faintest hint of compatible energy.

"Where?" I finally asked.

"Eastern shore. A human settlement called Tankor. She's there."

She. A woman. I hadn't expected that, though I don't know why. The elders hadn't specified what kind of human they'd match me with.

"There's more," Nyx continued. "The elders are in chaos. Some are saying this is too dangerous. That a human with this much shadow essence could threaten our way of life if the mating fails."

I stood in one fluid motion. "When do I leave?"

"You don't, yet. There's a council meeting at dusk. They're debating whether to honor the match or reject it altogether."

Anger flared in me, shadows responding by darkening around my body. "They asked for a volunteer. I stepped forward. They can't back out now."

Nyx rose beside me. "Varkolak, this isn't just about you anymore. A human this powerful is unprecedented."

"Take me to the council."

The council chamber buzzed with agitated voices when we arrived. Shadows danced and whirled around the circular stone room, reflecting the emotional state of the elders.

"The risk is too great!" Elder Moro slammed his fist on the ancient stone table. "What if she can't control her power once awakened? What if she turns against us?"

Elder Kora's quiet voice somehow cut through the chaos. "What if she is exactly what we've been waiting for? The savior of our people?"

I stepped forward, and the chamber fell silent. All eyes turned to me.

"You asked for a volunteer," I said. "I gave my word."

Draven emerged from the shadows at the far side of the room. "Your word means nothing compared to the safety of our tribe."

"Since when are you concerned with anyone but yourself?" I shot back.

Elder Kora raised her hand. "Varkolak, you don't understand the magnitude of what we've discovered. This human woman's shadow essence is dormant but immensely powerful. If awakened improperly, it could consume her, and possibly you as well."

"All the more reason I should be the one to go," I insisted. "My control is stronger than most."

Draven sneered. "Your arrogance will be your downfall."

"Enough." Elder Kora's voice held the weight of centuries. "The council will vote. Those in favor of honoring the match and sending Varkolak to the human?"

One by one, hands raised. First Kora, then three others. Five remained down, including Moro and the younger elders.

Five against five for a tie.

Elder Kora's eyes found mine. "The decision falls to you, Varkolak. Knowing the risks, do you still wish to proceed?"

I didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Draven pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against. "Then you're a fool."

"Perhaps," I acknowledged. "But I gave my word."

Elder Kora nodded solemnly. "Then it is decided. Preparations will be made for your journey to the human world. The Sacrarium awaits you at dawn."

The council disbanded, shadows swirling as elders departed. Only Nyx remained with me in the chamber.

"Are you afraid?" she asked softly.

I considered lying, but couldn't. Not to her. "Yes."

She touched my arm, her fingers cool as night air. "You should be. This human is unique. The seekers say she works with light magic."

My head snapped up. "What?"

"She's a photographer. Captures light with machines. Yet shadow essence flows through her."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Light and shadow? That's not possible."

"Apparently it is. Her name is Aya."

Aya. The name echoed in my mind like a prayer. Or a warning.

Dawn found me walking the ancient path to the Sacrarium, a temple carved into the heart of the tallest peak. The place where shadow meets light. The place where our ancestors first learned to control the darkness.

The perfect place to prepare for a journey to the human world.

Snow crunched beneath my boots as I climbed higher. The air grew thinner, but my kind didn't suffer from altitude as humans did. Another advantage of our shadow essence.

My mind raced with possibilities. What kind of human could share my essence? Would she fear me? Hate me? Would I be able to awaken her power without destroying her?

And if I succeeded, if we mated, would it save our people?

The Sacrarium appeared around a bend, its obsidian pillars gleaming in the morning light. For thousands of years, our people had come here to connect with both shadow and light, to find balance.

I paused at the entrance, torn between duty and dread. Inside, the elders would prepare me for my journey. They would teach me how to blend among humans, how to suppress my shadow manipulation to avoid detection. How to slowly, carefully, awaken Aya's dormant powers.

Assuming she would let me close enough to try.

That was the part no one mentioned. What if this human wanted nothing to do with me? Our plan depended on her acceptance, her willingness. I couldn't force this connection. She had to give it freely.

I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. The interior was in stark contrast to our dark dwellings with floors of white marble shot through with veins of black, walls that shifted between light and dark depending on the angle of the sun through strategically placed openings.

Elder Kora waited alone in the center of the main chamber.

"The others won't be joining us," she said before I could ask. "This preparation is sacred and private."

I nodded, dropping to one knee before her in respect.

"Rise, Varkolak. Today you become more than just a warrior of shadows. Today you become our hope."

Her words should have filled me with pride. Instead, doubt crept in like a morning mist.

"What if I fail?" The question escaped before I could stop it.

Kora's ancient eyes softened. "Then you fail. But the attempt itself matters. For too long, we've hidden in these mountains, watching our people fade."

She gestured for me to sit across from her on the marble floor.

"Tell me what troubles you most about this task."

I considered my words carefully. "The human woman, Aya. What if she rejects me? What if she sees only a monster?"

"And is that what you are? A monster?"

"Some would say so."

Kora shook her head. "Monsters destroy without purpose. You seek to create, to save. But your fear is valid. Humans are taught to fear the dark, to fear what they don't understand."

"Then how?—"

"You must show her that darkness isn't evil, just as light isn't inherently good. They are two halves of the same whole." She reached out, touching my chest above my heart. "Show her the man beneath the shadows."

I looked down. "What if there isn't much of a man left? I've spent so long alone, in the dark."

"Then perhaps she will help you find him again." Kora smiled. "The seekers' reports suggest she is remarkable. Strong-willed. Passionate about her art. And completely unaware of the power sleeping inside her."

"If her essence is dormant, how will she react when it awakens?"

Kora's expression turned grave. "That is the greatest risk. When shadow essence awakens in one not born to it, the experience can be overwhelming. You must be there to guide her, to help her control it."

"And if I can't?"

"Then you both may be consumed by it."

The weight of her words settled over me like a burial shroud. I was gambling not only with my life but with this innocent human as well.

"When do I leave?"

"Tonight. The new moon will make it easier for you to travel through the shadow paths." She stood, offering her hand to help me up. "The human world has changed since any of our kind walked among them. You will need to adapt quickly."

I rose without taking her hand. "I've studied them. Their technology. Their customs."

"Books and observation can only teach so much. Experience is a harsher but more effective teacher." She walked to a small altar at the far end of the chamber. "There is one more thing."

From beneath a black cloth, she removed a silver pendant in the shape of our tribe's symbol, a crescent moon embracing a star.

"This will help you control your powers in the human world. The silver absorbs excess shadow energy. Wear it always."

I took the pendant, slipping it over my head. The metal felt cool against my skin.

"What exactly am I to do when I find her?"

Elder Kora's expression was unreadable. "First, you must gain her trust. Then, when the time is right, you will know how to awaken her essence and complete the bond."

"And if she doesn't want this? If she rejects our ways?"

"Then you return alone, and we find another way to save our people." She touched my arm gently. "But I believe in prophecy, Varkolak. And the signs point to this woman. To Aya."

I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the face of the woman who might save us all. Or destroy me completely.